Clothes hamper



Jan. 24, 1956 T..W. COTTOM CLOTHES HAMPER Filed Dec. 22, 1952 alla United States Patent C) CLOTHESHAMPERl Truman W. Cottom; Geneva, lll.,tas signor, bymesne as- Thepresent inventionrelates tova clothes hamper and more particularly to-t anovel clothes hamper, having a stationary top and-a removableclothes binthat ispivotally or tiltably mounted inthe bodyof theihamper.

Clothes hampers of the type now in commonvusage comprise a receptacle having an access opening at the top and generally thereat provided withsafpivoted closure for said opening allowing accesstto the interior of the hamper. Although such-a pivotedlclosure doeshide from view` the soiledA articles collected in the` hamper, this closure does not permit of .its elective use as a-support or base upon which toilet articlesor thealike may be safelykept.

As frequently happens, the housewife or maid when desiringfaceess to the interior of thehamper linds the cover or closure thereofv supporting `toiletarticles, piles of cleantowels" or linens, etc. Rather than clear the top of these articles prior to securing access to Itheinten'or, or if her arms-are tilledwithsoiled articles and thus inconvenient for her to clear the top or closure before opening, she endeavors to raise 'the closurean-vamount just suicient to receive the soiled articles tobe washed or cleanedwithout tipping or'dislodgingthe articles collected or placed on the topthereof. Anyone having' had experience in opening api-voted closure or) lidfor access to the interior of a cedar chest, clothes hamper or the like, recalls how frequently this opening. isattempted with articles on the top or closure and how frequently this attempt isfollowed with disastrousresultstto these articles inI that they tendl to-tip or slid'eiand fall.` upon the floor.

Another objection tosueh prior types of: hamperssis that they are soconstructedand-designed thatvtheyl are not intended toV be transported orf carried from: place to place, for the ordinary-,'housewifeor maid.y cannot with out undue effort lift and carry the same when empty, let alone when partially-or completely-lle'd-withsoiled articles to be transported tot` the: laundryro'om. Consequently, the soiled articles or contentsV are lifted. from these relatively'deep hampers and'from it deposited in a bag or other receptacle, or the smaller articles upon removal are placed a soiledsheet for transporta-tion to the laundry room or basement.`

It is, therefore, an important objectof the pr'esentlinvention-` to provide a clothes hamper-off such design and construction as to facilitate the collctin of soiled-articles in a relatively light bin or receptacle which may be quickly and easily removed with its soiled contents from the outer enclosure of the hamper.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel clothes hamper having an outer enclosure provided with a stationary or permanent top upon which may be placed and remain toilet articles, a radio or other items usually found in a bathroom or wherever clothes hampers are commonly placed, and a clothes bin lCC 2, and other articles t normallyV collected in` a `clothes hamper, andv easilyand readily carryV the binY and its contents to the laundry room.

To.facilitate. opening and` closing. of thepivoted bin or. inner. receptacle of thehamper, the lowerl front edge is` pivotally but detachably and removably mounted-in the base of the enclosure and the upper portion of the bin or inner receptacle is# provided with a pivotedl bar or handle which provides a convenient handlefor o'pening or closing the bin or innerreceptacle; and a carrying; handle for lifting out this bin or inner receptacleV andcarrying itn to theV place where itsV contents are to be emptied or removed. And. whenl the` bintor inner ree ceptaclelis moved to its closed position, thisV pivotedlbar projects beyond the front ofthe` hamper `in such manner as to provide arconvenient bar or rack for receivingand supportingga towel.

TheY present invention further comprehends the: provision of a novel clothes bin that is easily and quickly removed or replaced in the frontfof the outer receptacle orv enclosure, andwhenzremovedit may be set upon the floorandretained in upright position.

Further objectsare toV provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages andcapabilites as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.-

The invention further resides in theconstruction, combination and arrangement ofV parts illustrated in thezaccompanying drawing,` and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible ofmodiication and change, and comprehends other details, arrangements of parts, features and'constructions without-departing from'the spirit of the invention.`

Inethe drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the novel clothes hamper in its closed-positionand showing the manner in whicharticles may be safely retained upon its stationary top.

Figure 2 isranother perspective view but showing the pivotally mounted. clothesbin' withdrawn ormoved to an open position for the reception oflaundry or soi-led articles. Y

Fig. 3 is a disassembled viewY in perspectiveshowing. theclothes bin or inner detachable` receptacle removed from the interior of the outer stationary enclosure, the. view showingtheopenfront of the stationary enclosurev and the manner in whichr th'e clothes bin is pivotallyA mountedy therein.-

Fig.- 4 is a view in vertical, crosssectiontthroughthe assembled clotheshampenthe view being taken-in approximately aplane represented by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of thearrows.

Referring to the disclosure in the. drawing and moreparticularly to the novel. illustrative embodiment therein shown, the novel clothes hamper comprises an outer re ceptacleorenclosure 10 having atixed or stationary top- 11, side wallslZ' and 13, a rear wall 14 and a open rectangul'ar base 15S The side Walls i2and`l3 andthe rear wall14 are preferably of a somewhat porous, lightweight material such as wicker and the stationary top 11 of plywood or the like with its exposed outer surface covered by a plastic composition, coating or covering 16 having abrasive and chemical resisting properties and a long life. A plastic composition such as a vinyl resin, may be usedv and is available in various solid colors which may harmonize with the xtures or wall surfacing of the bathroom or wherever the hamper is placed, or it may be mottled or provided with suitable designs.

The top provides a solid, rigid and stationary surfaceupon which may be placed and retained toilet articles and PtentedJan. 24, 19576,

a radio as shown in Fig. 1, as well as guest towels, linens and other articles without danger of these articles being spilled onto the floor or displaced when the clothes bin or inner receptacle 17 is opened, closed or removed.

The clothes bin 17 comprises a. receptacle having a closed bottom 18 of wood or the like, and side walls 19 and 21, a rear wall 22 and a front wall 23, all preferably of wicker or the like affixed to an encompassing frame. The lower end of the front wall is provided with a horizontal bead or rounded edge 24 extending for a substantial portion of its length and adapted to be removably and pivotally mounted and conformably received in a complementary slot or recess 25 in the forward, upper edge of the longitudinally extending cross member 26 in the base 15.

The upper edge 27 of the clothes bin or receptacle defning its clothes opening is tapered or inclinded forwardly and upwardly (see Figs. 3 and 4) so that the rear cross brace or member 28 is disposed below that of the front cross brace or member 29 whereby to permit free and unobstructed tilting of the bin or receptacle 17 to open or closed position, and when in open position as shown in Fig. 2, the rear cross brace or member 2S engages the underside of the stationary top 11 to prevent unintentional removal of the bin. However, adequate clearance is provided between the interior of the top 11 and the upper encompassing edge 27 of the bin to permit the bin to be lifted sutiiciently to remove its bead or rounded lower edge 24 from its complementary slot or recess 25 in the base 15 of the outer enclosure to permit easy and quick removal of the bin 17, as shown in F ig. 3.

To facilitate such removal and the opening or closing of the bin 17, a bar or handle 31 of metal or other material suitable for the purpose and of substantially U-shape,

is provided. The opposite ends 32, 32 of this handle are pivotally received in openings in the yside or transverse members 33, 33 of the side walls 19 and 21 of the bin or receptacle. When the bar is lowered to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, it extends forwardly or outwardly from the bin an amount suflicient to provide a towel rack or bar for receiving a towel 34 or other article, and when it is elevated to the position shown in Fig. 3, it provides a handle for lifting the bin 17 from the outer enclosure 19 and permits this bin to be carried about.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawing, it will be evident that the present invention comprehends the provision of a novel clothes hamper comprising an outer enclosure that may remain in a desired, xed position and provided with a stationary top and a tilt front opening for a clothes bin, a removable clothes bin that may be readily lifted out and carried about, and a novel handle for opening and closing the bin and providing means for carrying the bin and its contents when the bin is removed. When the bin is assembled in its enclosure, this handle forms a towel bar at the front of the bin.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A clothes hamper comprising an outer enclosure completely open at the front and provided with a base, side walls and a fixed top providing a rigid support for articles to be placed thereon, a removable clothes bin conformably received in said enclosure and pivotally mounted at its lower, front edge upon the adjacent front edge of the base of the enclosure, said clothes bin having a base, spaced side, front and rear walls with the upper end of the bin open and its upper edge defining said opening being inclined downwardly and rearwardly to permit the upper end of the clothes bin to be opened and closed as this clothes bin is pivoted about its lower forward edge upon the upper, outer edge of the base of the enclosure, and a pivotally mounted handle member of substantially U-shape having the ends of its spaced sides anchored to the interior of the opposite side walls of the clothes bin adjacent the upper end of said side walls, the sides of said handle member when in lowered position and the clothes bin is moved to closed position in the enclosure projecting over and outwardly from the upper forward edge of the clothes bin and between this edge and the top of the enclosure to provide a handle and towel rack spaced forwardly of and along the front of said clothes bin, said handle when pulled forward pivoting the clothes bin about its lower front edge to open position and when the clothes bin is open and the handle is lifted and pivoted to its elevated, substantially upright position, further lifting of the handle bodily lifts and removes the clothes bin from the enclosure and permits the clothes bin to be carried about suspended and balanced from the handle.

2. A clothes hamper comprising an outer enclosure provided with a base, side walls, rear wall and top and with the front fully open, a clothes bin conformably received within the enclosure and removable from the open front of the enclosure, said clothes bin having a base, front, rear and side walls and open at the top, the base of the enclosure along its outer edge providing a pivotal support for the lower edge of the front wall whereby the clothes bin may be tilted from closed to open position and the clothes bin may be bodily removed from the closure when moved to open position, and a handle member of substantially U-shape with the ends of its opposite sides pivotally mounted in the side walls of the clothes bin below the upper edges of these side walls and intermediate the front and rear walls of the clothes bin, the spaced outwardly projecting sides of said handle member when lowered abutting the upper edge of the front wall of the clothes bin to permit the clothes bin to be moved to closed position with the sides of the handle member extending outwardly between the upper edge of the clothes bin and the underside of the top of the enclosure and with the handle member extending forwardly therefrom to provide a hand grasping part and a towel rack extending parallel to and spaced from the front of the clothes bin, said bin when withdrawn to open position by a forward pull on the handle member being removable by raising the handle about its pivotal mounting to an upright position and lifting upwardly whereupon the bin is removed from the enclosure and supported from the handle in upright position to facilitate carrying.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 846,319 .Knapp Mar. 5, 1907 983,473 Barnes Feb. 7, 1911 1,027,945 Walker May 28, 1912 1,595,263 Thornberry Aug. 10, 1926 1,980,715 Brosler Nov. 13, 1934- 2,246,975 Geibel June 24, 1941 2,506,533 Winborne May 2, 1950 2,606,804 Lambert Aug. 12, 1952 

